Here are all the bars and restaurants we featured in our March 2019 issue:
New Restaurants:
Chuan Min
Image by Tristin Zhang/That's
There’s a reason why Sichuan fare is regarded by many as their favorite Chinese cuisine: its hot, spicy and numbing flavor. You can’t have it any other way. But perhaps there’s one feature of the much-loved cuisine that some Westerners and young Chinese don’t seem to care for: its use of internal organs. Billed as a fusion Sichuan restaurant, Chuan Min, literally meaning ‘Sichuan people,’ has maintained the legendary flavors but ditched most of the dishes containing innards, like the popular fuqi fei pian, or ‘husband and wife lung slices.’
Perusing their menu, we came across the restaurant’s more fusion-esque offerings, such as ‘golden soup lemon frog’ (RMB76), a sour and spicy frog and shrimp dish. But the eatery also serves up classic eats like the famed and sought-after sour and spicy fish (RMB88) and dry stir-fried green beans (RMB28).
Although not a traditional Sichuan dish, the ‘spiced mutton in a copper pot’ (RMB88) was our favorite dish. Presented in a mini-version of the copper pot utilized in Mongolian mutton hot pot, this dish appeals both to our eyes and taste buds, with cooked mutton soaked in a flavorful spicy soup.
Price: RMB70-100
Who’s going: squeamish folks, families, mall-goers
Good for: spicy edibles, a hot date
Nearest metro: Beijing Lu (Exit B), 5 minutes’ walk
Read our full review here. See listing for Chuan Min.
Naked Bowl
Image by Tristin Zhang/That's
Naked Bowl dishes out a decent array of hearty edibles, from grain-based bowls to bagel sandwiches. There are a wide variety of bagels to choose from, and if you don’t want a bagelwich you can simply get your doughy disc toasted with cream cheese. Some of their healthy offerings contain ingredients like baby spinach and brussel sprouts as well as imported whole grains.
The ‘Buddha Bowl’ (RMB58) is a colorful combination of rice, lettuce, spicy broccoli, brussel sprouts, beet hummus, zucchini, smashed pumpkin, parsley, mint, almonds and red cabbage slaw, and it’s flavorfully touched up by a fig vinaigrette. Another popular choice is the ‘Kale Caesar Bowl’ (RMB48), powered by superfood kale and flavored with homemade low-calorie Caesar dressing. Switching ingredients to make your bowl vegan is also possible.
For sandwich lovers, the smoked salmon bagel sandwich (RMB48) did not disappoint. Packed with thick and rich cream cheese, smoked salmon and fresh arugula on a chewy bagel, this delicious handheld meal was both satisfying and filling.
Price: RMB80
Who’s going: consulate workers, expats, weight watchers
Good for: making your healthy diet dream a reality
Nearest metro: Zhujiang New Town (Exit B1), 10 minutes’ walk
Read our full review here. See listing for Naked Bowl.
New Bars:
Carpe Diem
Image by Ryan Gandolfo/That’s
Tucked between the neighborhoods directly south of Tianhe Dong Lu, there lies a quaint beer-focused bar worthy of your time. With tables set up both inside and outside the joint, Carpe Diem offers a chill setting to kick back after a long day’s work and enjoy a cold, small-batch beer.
The Tianhe haunt offers a healthy variety of craft beers on tap along with a stocked fridge boasting an array of bottled IPAs, lagers and stouts from the PRC and abroad. Notably, the bar serves up suds from local brewhouse Bravo and we ordered up their Mango Pomelo Creme Milkshake IPA (RMB55), a beverage that became a favorite after we sampled it late last year. It’s a unique blend of sweet and citrus and has a thick, smooth consistency, reminiscent of a smoothie.
The prices at Carpe Diem are comparable to other establishments around town, and they offer a buy-one-get-one happy hour deal from 6-8pm, Monday through Thursday. The bar also serves up various snacks to munch on and a shisha menu (RMB100).
Price: RMB60
Who’s going: local Tianheites
Good for: craft brews, puffing on a hookah, seizing the day
Nearest metro: Tianhe Sports Center (Exit B), 10 minutes’ walk
Read our full review here. See listing for Carpe Diem.
Jin’s Lounge
Image by Matt Bossons/That’s
When we arrived outside Jin’s Lounge, which is located on Huajiu Lu, we were greeted with a large sign that read ‘Free flow Carlsberg for RMB88’ and ‘Free flow Asahi for RMB68.’ While the deal (which is an awesome deal, by the way) was advertised as running from 9pm to 2am, when we stepped inside and spoke with the bar’s staff, we were confused to learn that the deal had ended almost a month prior. Not cool.
Undeterred, we grabbed a table and dove into the drink menu, eventually settling on two classic beverages: a Long Island iced tea (RMB68) and whiskey sour (RMB72). We’ll give credit where credit is due: both of these drinks were tasty, reasonably priced and contained enough alcohol that we didn’t feel ripped off. The whiskey sour was fragrant and sweet, and we’d order it again. The Long Island was, well, boozy, and it unquestionably hit the spot. But that, unfortunately, is where the positives end.
The music in the bar was overwhelmingly loud EDM that was better suited for a rave than a small bar in Zhujiang New Town with a wine rack. The lackluster interior design was also off-putting: between the kinda-classy wine rack, the electronic dart boards and the quasi-African artwork, the decor in Jin’s Lounge is confusing, and, simply put, we didn’t like it.
Price: not RMB68 for free flow Asahi
Who’s going: not us again
Good for: hurting your soul, false advertising, darts?
Nearest metro: Zhujiang New Town (Exit B1), 10 minutes’ walk
Read our full review here. See listing for Jin’s Lounge.
Read more Guangzhou restaurant reviews, cafe reviews and bar reviews.
[Cover image by Tristin Zhang/That's]
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